Like a Toy Soldier
by OfThisSoul
Summary: Taken by a new villain, Robin finds that he has no choice but to adapt to survive if he wants to get out alive. But what does this mad man want and why does he seem to be so obsessed with the concept of fear? And why isn't anyone looking for him? Warning: Graphic description of violence, some scenes may be too intense for some people. Additional warnings may be added. No slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Fair warning: this story may or not make sense in the beginning. Hopefully everything keeps cleared up but I make no grantees. It will contain graphic descriptions of violence, an OC villain, some intense scenes that may be triggering, profanity and an ever changing plot line. Fun times. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Unless I plan on answering it later on in the story, I will answer you. Enjoy. (Please excuse the horrible beginning.) **

_A cheering crowd roared like a ravenous lion below, eager for blood. Robin stood on the platform, feet like lead weights holding him still. His parents flipped gracefully through the air, ignorant of future events to come. He tried, oh how he tried, to call out, to warn them of the impending danger yet none heard him. His father reached for the trapeze and the moment it was in his firm grip, the cable snapped. Dick tried to scream but found that he had no voice. A maniacal laughter rang out through the tent as the trapeze holding up his mother also broke under the pressure. Dick turned back to the laughing crowd and found that they all had scar like smiles and painted faces. _

_He could make no sound. Absolute terror gripped him as he watched them fall, fall, crash into the solid dirt floor. Limbs at broken angles, blood staining the ground like wings, it was a sight to never be forgotten. Dick couldn't move, helpless and at mercy for whatever his tormentor had to throw at him. His robin costume had never felt more like a straight jacket. He shook it off and jumped down to where John and Mary Grayson lay sprawled on the unforgiving center ring. _

_"Stop laughing! Can't you see they're dead?" he shouted at the crowd as he knelt in the sticky mess. They couldn't stop, their bodies turning to rubber. They bounced up and down, swaying from side to side. His eyes widened in horror as each and every member of the audience began to merge into one rather familiar and menacing clown, whose insane laughter haunted the streets of Gotham most nights. _

_The Joker's face stared down at him, at least 30 times bigger than normal. "What's wrong Boy Blunder? Does the little birdy miss his mommy and daddy? Don't worry your pretty little head. They'll be coming back soon." He whipped away and faded into the now pitch black audience seating. _

_Without warning, his parents began to move. Their limbs twitched and righted themselves with a disturbing cracking noise, like someone breaking walnut shells. Like demented puppets, they pulled themselves together and began to stagger towards him. He fell back and tried to crawl away but to no avail. His back hit the wall the separated audience from performers. They began to speak and Dick covered his ears, trying to delete the sound of his parents' voices from his memory banks. It sounded like they were speaking through a meat grinder._

_"Why didn't you save us? Why did you let us fall? How could you do this to us? I thought you loved us. How could you do this to us?" _

_They crowded over him, blocking out the big top lights. He cowered, trying to cover his head as tears flowed down his cheeks and stained his uniform. Their broken fingers clawed at his costume and they leaned their heads down, opened their mouths and..._

"Interesting."

"What sir?"

"It's seems that our little experiment had another nightmare. His pulse is spiking considerably high."

"Sh... Should we wake him?"

"Yes, we need our little bird coherent for when we meet."

**Confused? As you should be. Things will come to light in the next chapter. I promise I will explain. No beta. Any mistakes you see are mine. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Look! An update! So exciting right? Disclaimer: don't own a damn thing. If I did, this would most definitely not be a kid's show. This part is slow and I apologize for this. The next chapter will be more exciting. **

"Mama! Tata!" He's sitting up, panting. His heart pounding in his chest and all the blood rushing from his head, Dick tried to calm his thoughts but waking from a nightmare has never really been an easy experience. He whimpers softly and blinks back tears before steeling himself. His vision clears and the panic comes flooding back.

It's not his bedroom at Wayne Manor. The walls were a light cream color and padded. There were no windows or a door. The blanket held in a white knuckle grip matches with the rest of the room. Dick felt nauseous as he looked down and saw that he was in scrubs that were the same shade.

He tried to stand but fell to the ground, too lightheaded and stood up too fast. His head was nothing but fuzzy static like the television that Conner loved to watch. A moment of careful analysis and he realized that he had been drugged but by what? And by who?

The room wasn't something that fit any of the villains that he was familiar with. It was too... colorful. _That's kinda sad. Cream is a colorful now?_ Robin thought, his head between his knees, trying to get the blood back into his brain._ So not feeling the aster. _

There was a soft clicking noise and a panel of the wall slide open. Dick lifted his head and saw a young woman, maybe early twenties with light blonde hair and a far too cheerful smile.

"Good morning sunshine. How are you?" She asked, moving towards him. He just stared at her, trying to bring his sight back into clarity. In a span of two minutes, it had managed to blur and focus five times. It was getting rather old.

A needle punctured his arm. Unintentionally, he hissed through his teeth. The tell tale signs of a massive migraine were beginning to rear its ugly head. _This is so not whelming. _his thoughts grumble.

"How's the little bird doing today?" she asks, voice sounding thunderous in the spacious room. He grits his teeth and looks at her. She actually looks mildly concerned. Dick tries to not be fooled. Or pissed. At this point, he's willing to bet that he's both.

"Fantastic." he growls. She seems slightly off put by his response but doesn't reply. Probably decides that it's not worth getting into a fight with him.

"Well then Mr. Grumpy Pants, it's time to see the doctor." And the smile makes a reappearance. Dick glares at her but she brushes it off. "Come on honey. The doctor doesn't like being kept from his business." With that final statement, two men who look like they've ingested nothing but steroids for the past thirty years enter the room. The prick of fear makes itself known but before he can really comprehend the idea of fighting back, one of the men pick him up and carry him out of the room.

Another wave of nausea washed over him as they travel down a multitude of hallways. The walls and flooring are a sterile white and the woman's heels click on the linoleum flooring. The sound makes the pain increase tenfold and Dick tries to swallow it but when there's a crash somewhere on the floor, he grips his head and whimpers. It felt like someone was taking a knife and stabbing in straight through his forehead.

Nobody comments and Dick isn't sure how he feels about this new silence. They head up about three floors, using an elevator. The ding makes him want to put a bullet in his own brain but he pushed that thought aside. Bats don't do guns. Ever. It's bat-law 101.

The little group stops on a floor that looks like it belongs in a stately manor, not a hospital. Carpeting, mahogany walls, fancy portraits; it did not fit the scene that they had just left.

There was a large door at the very back. Thankfully, there was only silence here, making thinking not quite such a daunting task. Unfortunately, it was making the fear and terror grow.

The woman knocked on the door then pushed it open. Together, they all walked in and Dick was placed on a couch gently. The two men take their leave and the woman walks around to another door and goes through that one. It shuts behind her and Dick is left alone.

He tries to stand and finds that his legs are completely numb. Bile rises in his throat but he chokes it back. He can't show these people that he's scared.

Wait.

He's afraid? Of what? Of who? No. Instantly, he regains composure and decides to not panic until he knows what he's up against. Batman always told him to rationalize. Fear leads to panic and panic leads to rash decisions and rash decisions lead to dying. And dying is a problem.

It only takes a minute after he makes his choice for the woman to come back in, followed closely by an elderly man. He looked like a grandfather, with his bushy white beard and tan skin. Dick feels his Robin side kick in and puts himself on alert. Something about this man was off.

"Good afternoon Mr. Grayson. Or should I call you Richard? Maybe Robin? Which would you prefer?" the man says with a grin. Dick feels his skin flush, a wave of panic washed over him. He begins to really hate how out of control his emotions are.

"How..." He takes a second to cough, mouth incredibly dry. The man just watches him. "How do you know who I am?" He asks. The man smiles and it's like his face split in half. His teeth have a distinct edge to them, making them look sharp.

"Oh my dear boy, there is so much that you and your adoptive father are ignorant of. Don't feel bad, most are." he says, shuffling to his desk and he pours himself a cup of tea. Blackness creeps up to the edge of Robin's vision. He shakes his head, trying to clear it away. The man grins again. "Sleep my boy. Soon enough you will understand." The doctor's laugh is the last thing he hears as he falls into oblivion.

**Look at me explain nothing. I swear, this will make sense. Just, please, bear with me. I know where I'm going with this. Updates are at least once a week. I will try for Friday but please don't hold me to it. Life gets in the way a lot. Thanks for reading! (No beta, mistakes are mine.) Thanks for the review, follows and favorites! **


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